My Nana sent me the book Marley and Me for Christmas this past year. I have dreaded reading it because I saw the movie and literally wept...and I hate, hate...hate crying. I try avoid it at all costs. But, and perhaps against better judgement, I picked the book up. Stuck in transit for 4 days has allowed me to read and sleep and amazing amount.
I know now why she wanted me to read it so badly. She has met my monsterous dog, Gus. And after babysitting him for a week, and having read this book, she knew he was a Marley in golden retriever get-up.
I've only read the first 5 chapters...but oh my goodness. Everything about this dog's puppy years reminds me of when we brought Gus home.
The first night, I just expected him to fall asleep in his crate, but he cried in this high-pitched yelping for hours, until we broke down and let him sleep in the bed...and of course he fell asleep in an instant. I continued putting him in his crate each night until I couldnt' take the crying anymore, and then he'd end up in bed with me, large drooly face in my face, and snoring... Eventually, I grew so exhausted from this routine that he just slept in bed with me, only to my horror I would wake up to him in my closet eating my shoes or ripping my socks apart.
Just like Marley, he would chew on my arm and wrist constantly to play...until the point that my brand new watch had teeth marks in it...I still wear this watch -- but its so torn up that i have a hair band holding it together.
As in the book, he would scarf his food down before I could even get the bowl on the ground. And then he'd lay at the pantry door and cry for more.
The energy that the author talks about with his dog is the same energy that I could never seem to wear out of Gus. I remember one night, after we had just walked for an hour, I was cleaning up dishes and putting them in the washer. Gus loved to lick the dishes as I put them in the washer, and sometimes I would find him standing on top of the open dishwasher door...but this night was different. I had just pulled a Glad container out of his mouth and was turning to wash it out again when I caught him pulling a large stake knife out of the washer, and before I could grab him he was racing around the house with the stake knife in his mouth...it was very Pirate's of the Caribbean-esc. After about 5 minutes of chasing him, I some how managed to pull the knife out of his mouth without either of us getting hurt.
This was a normal day for me and Gus -- but despite the sleepless nights, the chewed up shoes and the constant energy, there is something endearing about something that tirelessly begs of your affection, and will love you no matter what mood you are in. I think that's the point my Nana was trying to make...he is crazy, loud and energetic...but probably misunderstood. Behind all the slobber, he's doing it all for my attention.
Drooly face and all -- I love him. I guess there is something to be said about unconditional, messy love.
I can officially say that tomorrow i'll be back in America. What a strange thought, to finally be going home. This has been quite an adventure - one that I know i'll tell my children about one day. I came to Iraq hoping for an opportunity, and I'm leaving with a lifetime full of memories. In my short 6 and half months, I have had the chance to travel throughout Iraq doing Public Affairs. Its been an honor to have seen this part of the world, and to have served side-by-side my fellow servicemembers. I couldn't ask for a better team and friends. I go back feeling as though i've learned so much in a short period of time, thanks entirely to the people that gave me this opportunity and taught me along the way. Depsite long days, stressfull challenges and the threats that come with being deployed - i wouldn't trade this for anything. 
